The Importance of Controlling Heat and Humidity in Your Home

May 17, 2024

Long, sunny summer days are often associated with warm, humid weather as well. Heat and humidity are not only a common source of discomfort, they can also cause problems in your home and even raise the cost of indoor environmental control. Understanding how heat and humidity combine to affect indoor comfort and air quality will help you take smart steps toward a more comfortable and energy-efficient home this year.

Home Comfort

First and foremost, you want your home to feel comfortable, regardless of the weather outside. Heat and humidity can cause the air in your home to feel stagnant and oppressive, making it difficult to concentrate on tasks or even get a good night’s sleep. Your HVAC system is designed with home comfort in mind—via your thermostat, you can control factors such as the levels of heat and humidity to create an optimal indoor environment where you can enjoy everyday activities. When your air conditioning system is working properly, changes made to your thermostat are accurately reflected in improvements in home comfort so you will feel refreshed and energized, rather than irritable and lethargic.

Home Health

High heat and humidity may not be optimal for humans, but they can create the perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew, and other common pests, including insects, rodents, and birds. These creatures often seek areas where they are sheltered, comfortable, and have ready access to moisture and food—thus, a home that is warm and humid acts like an invitation for pests to move and begin causing trouble. Mold and pests can cause extensive damage to the finishes of your home and your belongings, as well as pose a significant health concern for those with allergies or asthma. The destructive habits of many pests may even compromise your insulation or heating and cooling system, which can cause further trouble when trying to improve your comfort and air quality indoors.

Home Energy

Humidity affects the amount of heat that air can hold. Air that is more humid can hold more heat, thus making it feel warmer inside your home, even when the temperature is set relatively low. If you still feel too hot, you will continue to lower the thermostat, spending more energy to remove heat and humidity from your air until you are comfortable—and thus spending more money each month on cooling your home as well. Additionally, cooling devices meant to complement your HVAC system, such as fans, aren’t as effective when the humidity is high, further reducing your indoor comfort and causing you to ask more from your air conditioner instead. Finally, excess humidity can lower the efficiency of your air conditioning, as it must work harder to remove heat and humidity from your air while accommodating your lower temperature setting. All of these factors can combine to affect your home’s energy expenditures, increasing the cost of home cooling during the summer.

Taking steps to lower the humidity in your home offers many benefits, from a healthier, more comfortable home to a lower monthly energy bill. You can learn more about how to reduce heat and humidity in your home with an efficient air conditioning system and the help of your Detroit heating and cooling service when you click through our blog, or by checking out the information on our comprehensive website.